$22 Million To Enhance Wildlife Visitor Experiences
Toitū te marae a Tāne-Mahuta me Hineahuone, Toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, Toitū te tangata.
Significant investment into supporting native species and tackling invasive pests in national parks has been announced by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.
Mr Potaka visited the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust facility near Christchurch today, where he announced $22 million from the International Visitor Levy will go to restoring unique wildlife in national parks, islands and other popular visitor sites over the next three years.
Last year, nearly three-quarters of international visitors said they did a hike, walk or tramp while in Aotearoa New Zealand, and around half visited a national park.
'Conservation-related tourism is worth around $3.4 billion a year,' says Mr Potaka.
'By backing conservation and sustainable tourism, the government also boosts our economy. This funding is strategically split between supporting our native species and tackling invasive pests—giving birds, bush, marine life and landscapes respite to recover.
'We're putting $4.15 million into expanding predator control, plus $11.5 million on the recovery of highly threatened species, including tara iti, at national parks and popular sites so visitors can enjoy thriving natural areas where their funds have contributed.
'Almost $7 million will target feral goats which remove the forest undergrowth and prevent regeneration.
'People fly here with the dream of enjoying our world-class environment and we want to make that experience even better for them. It's about generations of whānau camping out and struggling to sleep because of noisy kiwi calling outside; later waking to find only precious footprints.
'I'm delighted $1.7 million of this will go towards protecting critically endangered Canterbury locals—kakī/black stilts and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeets.
'There are only about 400 of these parakeets in the world. They nest in trees, cared for by both parents – but parent birds are no match for rats and stoats. If these invasive predators are around, eggs and chicks are quickly wiped out.
'We want to protect and grow rare species like these so more people can enjoy them at places closer to home like at The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary near Nelson.
'Budget 2025 allocates $55 million per annum to DOC for new investments from money raised under the new $100 IVL rate.
'New Zealand attracts visitors who care about nature and every cent that goes into conservation is an investment in our environment and our economy.'
Additional information on the IVL projects:
Expanding landscape scale predator control ($4.15m over 26/27 and 27/28).
Additional work in National Parks and priority sites, to grow populations of iconic bird species.
The IVL funding will allow DOC to boost predator control operations in 2 or potentially 3 priority areas in response to the beech mast forecast for 2026.
Potential locations (triggered by monitoring and need for urgent beechmast response) include: Fiordland, Mt Aspiring, Arthur's Pass, and Kahurangi National Parks in 26/27.
IVL funding will also enable the government to maintain the gains of philanthropic projects, maximising predator control outcomes from the NEXT Foundation investment: e.g. in Abel Tasman, Taranaki Mounga and Predator Free South Westland.
Goat management in National Parks and popular visitor areas ($6.9m over 3 years from 25/26) where damage results in visitors experiencing forests with limited understory.
Priority locations for focus:
Whanganui and Kahurangi National Parks
Iconic landscapes of Marlborough.
In some places it is viable to eradicate (totally remove) goats, creating huge cost efficiencies over the long-term, and reducing the impact of goats on forests.
Priority locations include:
Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Kaimai Forest Park
Nelson Lakes National Park
Increasing populations of threatened species in national parks, islands and popular sites ($11.5m over 3 years).
While increased weed and predator control will help many threatened species, there are targeted actions needed to ensure recovery of our most threatened and iconic species.
Initial focus of the IVL funding will be on the recovery of priority, highly threatened species that occur in national parks and high visitation sites, so that visitors can enjoy thriving natural areas where their funds have contributed.
2025/26 IVL funded species include:
Fauna: Southern NZ dotterel, kakī, Tara iti, kākāriki karaka, Paparoa giant wētā, Canterbury knobbled weevil, Awakopaka skink, Kakarakau skink, Oligosoma St Arnaud lowland skink.
Threatened plants: e.g., Brachyglottis rotundifolia, Solenogyne christensenii, Cardamine mutabilis, Carmichaelia carmichaeliae, Craspedia (Fyfe River).
Enhancing biodiversity on islands in popular visitor areas and ensuring appropriate protection is in place for biosecurity on high priority islands. For 2025/26, funding is allocated to the Hauraki Gulf, Marlborough Sounds, Kapiti and Fiordland islands.
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It is however inequitable in its application, only engaging some 56 percent of international visitors due to various free trade agreements (Australia and some Pacific Islands for example are exempt)." New Zealand's Great Walks, including such iconic treks as the Milford Track, also charge higher fees for tourists. "Only Great Walk offerings (huts and campsites) have differential pricing in place at the moment," DoC Deputy Director-General Policy and Regulatory Services Ruth Isaac told RNZ. "These have been in place since 2020 (though were trialled in 2018/19)." Those prices run anywhere from $35 to $152 in peak season for adults depending on the locations. Locations like Te Papa in Wellington also charge higher fees for international visitors. "It is important to consider the cumulative cost for visitors, and any charges need to be considered alongside those already paid by visitors through the International Visitor Levy (IVL), along with concessionaire charges," TIA's Thomas said. "We have seen a trend for visitors to be charged to access other iconic places around the world, think of some of the national parks around the world. "Tourism is a globally competitive industry, and while it isn't uncommon overseas we need to be careful to ensure that what we charge aligns with visitors' expectation of value for money." There also needs to be care in applying too many different fees that may overwhelm visitors. "In the wider picture we have some destinations (e.g., Waiheke and Rakiura Islands) advocating for visitor fees, and ongoing debate about bed taxes in Auckland and Queenstown," Simmons said. "From the point of view of the tourist experience in a small country such as NZ a single fee, collected at a single point removes the wear and tear of numerous fees along the itinerary." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
